Card index device



1,622,670 March 29 1927- J Hv RAND, JR A CARD INDEX DEVICE Filed April 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l =l======a l========= ammmmaclmzzmczlczmmmmc- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. H. RAND CARD INDEX DEVICE Filed April 14,

a :1-1- l! -l n a/ w March 29 1927.

Patented Mar. 29, 1927.

UNiTEDsTATi-:s PATENT oF F I C E JAMES H. BAND, JB., OF TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR `TO BAND KAB'DE-Xl BUREAU, INC., F TONAWANDA, NEW YORK,

A COQRPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

CARD INDEX DEVICE.

Application tiled April 14, 1923. Serial No. 632,179.

This invention relates to card indexes, and

`more particularly to that type of index in which a plurality of cards are maintained in overlapping arrangement in al tray or drawer wit the edges of the card projecting one beyond the other.

In indexes of this kind card holders have been provided having means for attachment to the su porting tray and having provision m for holding a plurality of cards. For example, one type of holder such as is illustrated'in the drawings of this application, has suitable tongues for engaging the usual side flanges of the tray or drawer, and

l5 pockets or other means for supporting a pair of cards, one on the upper face of the iolder and anothenon the lower or rear side of the holder. The cards so associated in pairs may bear a desired' relation one to the other, in other words the cards on the upper or front face of the holders may be of a certain type or contain a certain class of information, and those on the lower or rear' sides of the holders may be of different type or contain a different class of information, which it is desired to associate with the cards or the information on the upper sides of the holders. In index installations of this character it is desirable that the resence or absence of cards on the rear si es of the hold- 'ers may be noted without moving the up er cards or the holders and it is also desira le that the rear cards on the holders may be identified without moving the upper cards or the holders.`

'lhe objects of the present invention are to provide improvements in index devices of the type referred to, whereby the presence or absence of cards on the rear side of the holders may be noted without moving any of the holders or cards thereon; also to provide anii'n'provement in indexes whereby the cards on the rear as well as the front sides of the` holders may be readily identied without moving any of the cards or holders;

and also to provide im rovements in cardy index devices in the ot er respects herein' after set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan view ofl a portion of an index embodying the present invention. p

Fig. 2 is a plan viewpof a portion thereof with the upper card's of the holders removed. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a card holder with a pair of cards connected thereto, removed from the supporting device, and embodying the present invention, on line 3-3, Fig. 1, 'but on an enlarged scale.- p Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view of the holder and cards.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a card holder and card as 1n Fig. 1, the upper card being broken away to disclose the underlying parts of the holder. i

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the members illustrated in Fig. 5 with the upper card in an offset position.

Fig. 7 `is a plan view of a holder showing in full and broken lines a modified form of upper card in two positions.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a holder, with still another form of upper card.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view thereof with. the card in an ofl'set position.

lteferring to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, A designates a portion Vof a supporting tray or drawer having the usual side flan es B. 10 designates a plurality of card hol ers of sheet material provided with tongues 11 which are adapted to takeunder the flanges .B of the tray and whereby the holders are detachablysecured to the tray mf overlapping relation. These holders may have hinged card-supporting portions 12, as illustrated, and may be provided adjacent their free ends `with card-receiving pockets 13v of transparentL material, secured in position on the holder by staples 13a. The holders may be provided,as shown, with slits 14 or other means for engaging the upper corners of the cards to assist in retainin(1r the cards on theholde'rs- Other forms of tray or of card holders and attaching means thereformay be use d if desired. K

According to the present invention, the cards are associated on both sides or faces of the several holders. For example, a pair of cards is shown in the drawings, the cards of the pair being disposed on opposite sides 10o of the holder in substantially coincident su- I perposition. The present invention includes means whereby, while being associated in pairs such as described, the presence or absenceof one of the cai-ds of fi pair may be 1o.'. noted by the user of the index without movingany of the cards or any of the holders, and also means whereby either ofthe cards of a pair may be identified by the user of the index without moving any of the cards H0 illustration, a pair of cards only is shown on each holder, but it is obvious that a greater number of pairs of cards maybe used side by side on each holder, if desired. Thus for example, in Figs. 1 to 6, 15 designates a card supported on tlle front or upper face of the card holder and 16 designates a cai-.d supported on the rear or lower face of the card holder. The upper card 15 is provided with an aperture or recess 17, which permits a view of a portion of the lower card. Thus itis apparent lfrom Fig. 1 that when thel cards are in normal positions in the holder the presence or absence of any of the lower cards on the holders'may be noted without moving the upper cards or without moving the holders. The view of a portion of the lower card is permitted through the card holder by any suitable means. With the type of holder illustrated, a portionof the holderv is cut out as indicated at 18, but it is understood that thesame results may be 'obtained by other means, if desired.-v

In the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, the lower cards areprovided at their portions which are displayed through the apertures or recesses with suitable symbols or the like 19, thereby providing positive signals to indicate the presence of cards on the rear or under side of rthe holders. While illustrated in these figures, it is lnot essential that a positive distinctive signal symbol be utilized, as the same results may be accomplished by providing a lower card of distinctive color or appearance from the upper card, whereby its presence may be readily noted through the aperture or recess in the upper card.

In Fig. 7, there is shown an upper card 15Il and the presence of the lower card 16 is emphasized and an additional purpose served by providing the lower card with an index designation 19, the name of a person being illustrated on the card` shown, 4`which designation is viewed through the cut-out portion 17 in the upper card and a corresponding cut-out portion in the holder, and not only indicates the presence of a card on the lower side of the holder,-when the card is in place, but also gives the designation of the personror thing to which the data on the card refer.

As illustrated in Figs. 6 and 9 and in broken lines in Fig. 7 of the drawings, this invention renders it possible to use the upper cards on the holders of the index as signals tomarka place inthe index or call the attention of .the operator to any particular card or holder, the cut-out portion of the upper card permitting that card to be moved over in the sheath at the bottom of the holder, to y a osition where the card is offset from the si e of the holder, the stapled end of the sheath or pocket taking into the cut-'out portion of the card. In such position the lower` edge of the non-projecting portion of the card l'ests in the pocket and holds the card in osition on the holder.

igs. 8 and 9 illustrate still another form of upper card, shown and designated as 15". This upper card has a cut-away portion 17" extending to one of its side edges, the holder being provided with an aperture 18", a portion of the lower card 16" being displayed through said aperture.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an index device, the combination of a card holder having means for attachment to a support, and parts for releasably holding a card on one side thereof, said holder having an" opening therein whereby a portion of said card at one side of said holder may be viewed -from the opposite side of the holder without movin said holder.

. 2. In an index, the com ination of a plurality of index cards, a card holder having a card-supporting portion with an aperture therein and adapted to support cards on oposite sides thereof, one of said cards havmg a cut-out portionI ada ted to register with the aperture 1n said hol er, whereby a portion of the card on the opposite side of said holder may be viewed through said aperture.

3. In an index device, the combination of a plurality of separate index cards, and means for releasably attaching said cards to a support, said cardsbeing arranged in pairs, the cards of each pair being in substantially coincident superposition, the upper card of each pair having an opening in:

a portionthereof, whereby the presence of the card therebeneath uiay be `noted without lifting the upper card or moving said attaching means.

4. In a card index, pluralit the car s in each pair being in substantially coincident superposition, the several pairs of cards being arranged in overlapping relation, and means for detachably connecting the cards to a support, the upper card of each pair being formed so as to present a portion of the ower card to view when the cards are mounted on said support.

5. In an index, device, the combination of a plurality of cards, a card holder having a pocket at one edge adapted to receive lportions of said cards for supporting the cards on the holder, one of sald cards having a cut-out portion whereby a portion of an underlying card may be viewed therethrough, said cut-out portion permitting the card to the combination of a of index cards arranged in pairs,`

be shifted laterally a por-tion of it pro the pocket.

6. In an index device,

on said holder, so that. jects from the edge of the combination of a card holder comprising an attaching portion adapted to engage card-holding portion hinged ing portion, parts at the top a support, and a to said attachandl bottom of said card-holdi cards to retain mounted on the holders and having portions engaging said card-retaining front cards' havi portions of said parts on said holder, said ng apertures through which rear cards'may be viewed. JAMES H. RAND, JR. 

